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How do I create a sleep routine for my baby?

12/6/2021

Keeping in mind that complete exhaustion is a rite of passage for most new parents, there are ways to improve your baby’s sleep patterns. Here are some ways you can help your baby, and you, get a good night’s sleep….eventually!

1. Have your baby sleep, separately, in your room.
2. Encourage good sleep habits: Establish a calm and consistent routine, with low stimulation activities in a softly lit room, before your child is too tired. Try to identify patterns with a journal and adapt as much as you can to your child’s schedule.
3. Remember that this period won’t last forever!

Have your baby sleep in your room
Many specialists recommend that a baby sleep in your room. This keeps them close, gives you easier access to them, and provides reassurance simply through your presence.

The Mayo Clinic recommends the following:
Ideally, your baby should sleep in your room with you, but alone in a crib, bassinet or other structure designed for infants, for at least six months, and, if possible, up to one year. This might help decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Adult beds aren't safe for infants. A baby can become trapped and suffocate between the headboard slats, the space between the mattress and the bed frame, or the space between the mattress and the wall. A baby can also suffocate if a sleeping parent accidentally rolls over and covers the baby's nose and mouth.

Encourage good sleep habits
The sooner you can establish a sleep routine, the better. But don’t forget that ¼ of babies and toddlers still don’t sleep the night (which means 6 hours of interrupted sleep) at 12 months of age, and every baby is different. However, a routine will reassure and comfort your child, even if it doesn’t immediately result in a full night of sleep.

What type of things can you do to develop a routine? Establish a calm, consistent routine that can include bathing, cuddling, singing or reading in a softly lit room, and have a defined end point when the activities are over and you leave the room. Be sure not to over-stimulate your baby and be sure you start the sleep routine before your child is not too tired.

Did we make you yawn?

A trick we used to establish consistency (i.e., kept us from losing our minds due to exhaustion) was to write everything down to try to identify patterns (times for naps, bedtime, feedings, diaper changes, etc.). The first thing I learned from this was that it really wasn’t up to me. My babies needed what they needed when they needed it, and I had to adapt. By writing things down, however, it got to the point where I could predict a lot of what my baby needed before they got fussy, which also kept me from thinking I was about to get a break when in fact things were about to get really busy! My system was not 100% fool-proof, but it created consistency for my babies and gave me a sense that I had a bit of control over the chaos. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends keeping a sleep diary for the same reason.

Don’t judge yourself or your baby if the sleep patterns in your household are different than others’. Your parenting skills are not reflected in your child’s sleep patterns, and being kind and patient toward your child and yourself will help you get through this challenging time.

As always, if you think there is something you are concerned about or you need help, speak to your baby’s doctor.

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So you think you bought a solid wood crib.....

12/1/2021

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It is really difficult to know exactly what you are buying when you purchase a crib. Many cribs are advertised as being made of “wood”, but this can mean very different things. In Canada, there are standards for saying something is “solid wood”:

Solid wood logs.

Solid wood is the term used to describe wood-based materials that have been extracted from the truck and further processed without mechanically altering the structure of the wood. The quality concept “solid wood” is strictly standardised, especially in the field of wooden furniture making. Only furniture with all parts (except rear panels and drawer bottoms) made of solid wood may be called solid wood furniture. If veneer (thin sheets of wood on a carrier material) is used for a piece of furniture, this must be indicated to the customer. (www.felder-group.com/en-ca/materials/solid-wood)

Images of laminate, solid wood and engineered wood.

However, there are no such standards for saying something is made of “wood”. For example, MDF is “wood”, as are wood panels, plywood and fibreboard, which all contain a very toxic mix of chemicals to hold wood slices, chips or pieces together. All engineered wood products are created by taking pieces of wood and gluing them together. It is the chemical off-gassing of the glues and the energy-intensive manufacturing process that make the use of these products problematic for our health and the environment.

Trying to get more information is difficult. I contacted a very well-known distributor of “wood” cribs available in Canadian big box stores and baby boutiques, and they told me that they didn’t even know what their cribs were made with, saying “Unfortunately, those specifications are not provided to us.” Another local high-end baby crib manufacturer markets their cribs as “solid wood” when they are in fact made of plywood and veneers.

Plywood + veneer: commonly used in the manufacture of baby cribs.

And don’t be fooled by products such as “eco-plywood”, which can only claim less toxic off-gassing then its more toxic cousins. Aim for no off-gassing at all, and go for locally made, 100% solid wood, hand-made, naturally finished baby cribs!

LuLé's 100% solid wood, all natural baby crib!

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Baby furniture, 1900-today

10/26/2021

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The baby furniture market didn’t exist until the mid-20th century, with the rise of the shopping mall. Before this, baby cribs were passed down in families, or babies slept wherever it was convenient: in boxes, in drawers, in bed with others, even in cages suspended outside of apartment windows! By the 1960s, big box stores attracted expecting parents with a less expensive offer that relied on an increasingly globalized supply chain. Around the 1990s, consumers started to experiment with online shopping and second-hand online markets, resulting in a decline in shopping mall sales and recognition of the value of using a product as opposed to ownership of a product (turning the idea of family heirlooms passed from generation-to-generation on its head). Today, new parents in North America can expect to spend an average of $15 000 on their new baby; and hopefully no more suspending their bundle of joy outside the window in a cage!

In response to crowded tenement housing in industrializing cities, the early 1900s saw parents suspending their babies out of their apartment block windows inside of cages, in order to “air them out” (on the advice of child-rearing experts)! Photo: Getty Images.

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When should I transition my baby out of their crib?

9/23/2021

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Health Canada recommends that you transition your child out of their crib once they are able to climb out of their crib OR once they reach 90 cm in height, whichever happens first. Most children reach this height milestone between the ages of 2 and 3, but they might start climbing out of their crib earlier than you expect!

Our children are small in stature, so following Health Canada’s recommendation according to height would have resulted in our kids staying in cribs way too long. So we kept an eye (and ear!) on things to see if our second daughter would start trying to climb out of her crib. We only realized, however, that she could climb out of her crib the morning we heard a thump and hysterical laughter coming from the room she shared with her little brother. As of that day, and without any behaviour to warn us of her new-found ability, she was able to climb out of her crib (well, throw herself out of her crib). This was the sign that we needed to transition her out of her crib immediately since this newly discovered ability was creating complete delight for her and her brother. She was about 18 months old at the time.

Time to transition!

So when should you transition your child out of a crib? Health Canada recommends that children use a crib until 18-24 months of age. Specifically, your child should be transitioned out of crib sleeping once they can climb out of their crib OR once they are 90 cm tall, whichever comes first.

Take advantage of our Buy-Back Program!
If you have purchased a LuLé crib and you are considering transitioning your child out of their crib, contact us to learn more about our Buy-Back Program. You can receive up to 10% of the purchase price of the crib, and we will come and pick up the crib for you. No need to place ads and field calls!

Want to learn more?
Health Canada and Crib Safety: Is Your Child Safe? - Canada.ca

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When is it time to lower the mattress support in my baby’s crib?

8/30/2021

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We experienced childhood in a sort of reverse order with our children: our first daughter was adopted when she was almost 5 years old (making her our first child!), our second daughter was adopted when she was 11 months old (making her our first toddler!), and our third child (and first son) was adopted as a newborn (our first baby!). This meant that the first time we needed to figure out when to transition out of a crib was with our second child, and the first time we needed to lower our mattress support in a crib was with our third child. We did not have the benefit of experience to help us!

Most cribs that are built today have at least two height settings for the mattress support. Aside from the lowest setting, these options are for the convenience and ease-of-use of the care-giver. In general, parents use the highest setting with their newborn to make it easier to place their baby in the crib. But it isn’t necessary! You can use the crib on its lowest mattress support setting with your newborn, thereby avoiding the necessity of lowering it later on. It really is a question of preference. However, as your baby becomes more mobile, you must lower the mattress support accordingly. As soon as your baby can lift him or herself onto their hands and knees, lower the mattress support to its lowest setting as soon as possible. Why? They can move around now, which includes moving to the crib railing and looking around. Babies can topple out of their crib if they can get their head past the crib railing.

Surprise! Time to lower the mattress support!

When you adjust the mattress support, you must ensure that you have done everything correctly and that your crib is secure and stable. When you place the mattress back into the crib, be sure that it sits flat on the mattress support and that the mattress protective sheet and the fitted sheet are properly installed. If, for some reason, you have difficulty adjusting the mattress support or reinstalling the mattress, get some help. Contact the manufacturer to verify that you have followed the instructions, or to ensure that you have all the necessary pieces. Never place a baby in a crib if you are not certain that everything is assembled properly.

LuLé can help! If you have ordered a LuLé crib, you can ask us to assemble the mattress support at your desire height when we deliver and assemble your crib. We can even give you a hands-on tutorial showing you how to adjust the mattress support in the future

When should you lower your mattress support to its lowest height? Health Canada recommends lowering a mattress support to its lowest height as soon as your child can lift themselves up onto their hands and knees.

Want to learn more?
Health Canada and Crib Safety: Is Your Child Safe? - Canada.ca

Estimates from American Hospitals show that thousands of parents arrive at emergency rooms with babies that have been injured by falling out of cribs: Injuries Associated With Cribs, Playpens, and Bassinets Among Young Children in the US, 1990–2008 | American Academy of Pediatrics (aappublications.org)

Be happy, be safe, and enjoy your baby!

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When will my baby sleep through the night?

7/9/2021

You are very cute. Are you ever going to sleep?

Are you exhausted, or trying to prepare yourself for the exhaustion that everyone has warned you is coming? Every parent or expecting parent has been there! The good news is that babies sleep 12-16 hours every 24 hours (sometimes up to 18 hours for a new-born). The chart below, taken from the Caring For Kids website (of the Canadian Paediatric Society), gives you a summary:

Age

Total hours of sleep per 24 hours

Infants (4 to 12 months old)

12-16 hours

Toddlers (1 to 2 years old)

11-14 hours

Children (3 to 5 years old)

10-13 hours

Children (6-12 years)

9-12 hours

Teenagers (13-18 years old)

8-10 hours

It is important to note that “sleeping through the night” for an infant means sleeping six uninterrupted hours. Some infants will wake up but will then self-soothe and go back to sleep. Most babies (around 60%) start to sleep through the night at around 6 months, but over a quarter of them (28%) are still not sleeping through the night at 12 months.

Also cute. Also not sleeping.

Some healthy sleep habits for your new-born from the Caring For Kids website:

New-borns can take time to establish their sleep routine, so it is essential that you provide consistency. For example, always placing your baby, on their back, into their crib for sleeping, keeping soft items like pillows and stuffed animals out of the crib. By around 3 months of age, your baby will start to understand that this is the place for sleep and settle more quickly.
An overtired baby has more trouble sleeping. Napping actually helps a baby to sleep better at night, so keeping your baby awake during the day will not help your baby sleep longer at night. I have seen the truth in this with my own children. Missed naps often meant a difficult night in our house whereas extra naps or a longer nap-time had no negative impact on my kids being able to sleep at night.
Put your baby in bed when they are drowsy, but awake. Putting your baby in their crib to sleep before they have fallen asleep gives them the opportunity to learn how to fall asleep on their own. My two youngest had an ideal window of time when they were ready to go to sleep, and if we pushed past this, they seemed to get a second wind and had a hard time settling down for the night.
It’s okay to cuddle and rock your baby. You cannot spoil a young baby by holding them. They need the contact and reassurance, and so might you!
Your baby will stir during the night. Resist the urge to immediately rush in and sweep them up in your arms. Give them a few minutes to try and settle on their own before going to them. You might actually be waking them up when all they were doing was moving around a bit as part of their sleep cycle.
Avoid stimulation during night-time feedings and diaper changes. Keep the lights dim. Keeping your baby’s room dark is an important part of helping them fall asleep and sleep through the night.

Cuddling? Or praying for more sleep?

If you are concerned about the amount of sleep your baby is getting, you should talk to your paediatrician. If you are able to keep a journal of your baby’s sleeping habits, this will help your doctor to ensure that your child is developing healthy sleeping patterns.

This is a wonderful, frustrating, magical and exhausting time for you. All you can do is enjoy the good moments and try not to linger over the difficult periods. The time you have with your new-born will go by so quickly. Make the most of the magic and be assured that the difficulties won’t last forever. And whenever you can, get some sleep!

Where is the best place to put my baby's crib?

6/1/2021

I never give safety advice based on anecdotes or experience (although I do give examples of my family’s experiences). The best place to get safety information is from the experts, and in Canada, this is Health Canada. They recommend the following:

Never place your baby’s crib near:

lamps
curtains
windows
patio doors
blind cords
electrical plugs
extension cords
electrical cords, such as those found on night lamps or baby monitors

This is one eye-opening photo from the 1950s. How many dangers can you count? Let's start with a crib on wheels....

As soon as your baby can sit upright or push up on their hands and knees, you should:

take away mobiles and toy bars
move the crib mattress support to its lowest level

It's time to lower the mattress...

To avoid the risk of suffocation, you should never:

harness or tie your baby to the crib, cradle or bassinet
use pillows, comforters, stuffed toys or bumper pads in the crib, cradle or bassinet
leave your baby in the crib, cradle or bassinet with:
- a necklace
- an elastic band
- a scarf
- a pacifier on a long cord

Don't do any of this!

What should I have in my baby’s crib? Are crib bumper pads safe?

5/6/2021

When I was equipping my baby’s nursery, I assumed that anything sold in a baby store was safe.

When you walk into a baby store as a first-time expecting parent, you are confronted with hundreds of items that a sales person will insist are absolutely essential, and many of these items are meant to go into the crib with your baby. Friends and family expect to walk into your baby’s nursery and be overcome with pastel softness everywhere they look. As an expecting parent, we want the safest and most beautiful place possible for our baby to sleep. But are we creating a potential danger with some of our baby store purchases?

Before I answer this question, let me share an experience with you.

One summer night, our family was driving home after a fantastic day spent at an agricultural fair. As we were winding along country roads in the dark, heading home, I felt a wonderful sense of safety and security with my children sleeping in the back seat, my 2 youngest safely attached in their top-of-the-line car seats. After we arrived home, my husband and I started to unstrap our children from their car seats when I discovered that my eldest daughter had mistakenly detached one baby seat from the car as she had struggled to attach her own seat belt in the dark.

Of course, nothing bad had happened on our drive home. But I couldn’t get it out of my head. If we had had an accident or a sudden stop, my youngest daughter could have been seriously injured, despite the fact that we thought she was in the safest place possible in our car. Every once in a while, it still makes my stomach flip when I think about it. The way I feel about this event is exactly the same way I feel about all the doo-dads I bought to place in my children’s cribs: I thought I had done the best thing for my children and that they were safe, but because of my lack of knowledge , they weren’t safe. It’s true that nothing happened, but I wouldn’t risk doing the same thing again. I know better now.

For example, crib bumpers (or bumper pads) were originally manufactured to address a design flaw in commercially available cribs: Before recent regulations concerning crib manufacturing and sales in North America, crib slats were placed too far apart, which resulted in babies getting their heads trapped between slats. Crib bumpers were used to keep a baby's head from going through the bars, and/or to protect them from the hard edges of crib slats. A crib that is manufactured today according to current standards has slats that are a maximum of 6 cm apart, much too small for a baby’s head to get through, and most manufacturers soften the edges of baby crib slats by rounding them. In other words, crib bumpers no longer serve a purpose; Some jurisdictions (such as Chicago and the Maryland) have even banned the sale of crib bumpers.

Experts warn that any "soft bedding" in your baby's crib is a potential suffocation hazard, and these items have been linked to infant deaths. So the answer to the question “What should I have in my baby’s crib?” is simple. There should be four things in your baby’s crib: a mattress, a mattress protector, a fitted mattress sheet and your baby (appropriately diapered and dressed for the temperature). Nothing else.

Safe sleeping? As easy as A-B-C: Alone, on the Back, in an empty Crib.

This seems counter-intuitive. Baby stores are filled with sheets and comforter sets, baby pillows, baby bumpers, stuffed toys and more. Our instinct to create a soft, beautiful environment for our child invites us to make a lot of unnecessary and possibly dangerous purchases.

When it comes to filling a baby’s crib with unnecessary stuff, my instinct tells me that there is no sense in taking a risk. Even the smallest chance that my child could become caught in or suffocated by a baby bumper or stuck beneath a puffy comforter is too much of a chance for me. Today, knowing what I know now, I would follow Heath Canada’s Guidelines and have nothing extra in the crib.

Want to get better informed?

If you want to know more about keeping your baby safe, visit Is Your Child Safe? - Canada.ca

Any soft bedding introduces risk: Sleep-Related Infant Suffocation Deaths Attributable to Soft Bedding, Overlay, and Wedging | American Academy of Pediatrics (aappublications.org)

Crib bumper risk: Joint Statement on Padded Crib Bumpers FINAL 11.3.16.pdf (cpsc.gov)

An article from 2015 about the risk of crib bumpers can be found here: Infant deaths from crib bumpers on the rise - CBS News

Bans on the sale of crib bumpers (also known as bumper pads): Ohio and Maryland only states to ban baby bumpers (wkbn.com); Council bans sale of crib bumper pads in Chicago - Chicago Tribune

How do I create a sleep routine for my baby?

So you think you bought a solid wood crib.....

Baby furniture, 1900-today

When should I transition my baby out of their crib?

When is it time to lower the mattress support in my baby’s crib?

When will my baby sleep through the night?

Where is the best place to put my baby's crib?

What should I have in my baby’s crib? Are crib bumper pads safe?

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